Flowers and Weathervanes
by Pshycho
Summary: Lillian, a shy young girl going through the loss of her parents, finds comfort in a small farming town and an unexpected boy named Cam.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"What a cute little town!" Lillian proclaimed as she went to explore her new home. She had just come from the city to become a farmer, and now she was journeying to the new town she now lived in. Both of her parents had passed in a tragic carriage accident just a few months before, so she had to start her life over. She remembers the night as if it had happened only last night. It had been raining so hard, one could barely see five feet in front of them. The dirt roads had turned to mudslides and even the mayor, who was supposed to be traveling to a town for his reelection that night, decided to stay home. Her parents were coming back from visiting her sick grandmother that lived in the countryside and had to make the trip back home to their only daughter, despite the weather. Her grandmother begged them to stay the night, that Lillian would be alright, but they refused. Halfway home, lightning had struck a giant oak tree and it crashed onto the carriage. Only the carriage driver survived, and when he came to tell her the sad news, she barely knew what to do with herself. She was lost and had no idea what to do after the incident. That was when her friend that had moved away a few years ago suggesting moving to a little village called Bluebell. She only wrote to Georgia anymore, but she didn't have many options left, so she left the city and her bad memories behind her and she journeyed to Bluebell.

She had just met the Mayor, Rutger, and Jessica, who sold the animals in town. Rutger was a slender and elderly looking man that had a kind face, while Jessica was larger but seemed to possess some sort of authority when it came to taking care of animals. They had given her tips and advice about raising animals, even though she knew most of the things they had told her. She grew up taking care of her grandmother's livestock and chickens, so she simply listened politely to her new neighbors and thanked them when they had finished. When they presented Lillian with a free cow and chicken, she had been ecstatic and thanked them both. Perhaps she had been too friendly with them; she was so excited that she had hugged both of the strangers without thinking. They seemed a bit uncomfortable about the sudden close contact, but they both smiled at her and welcomed her. 

Now, she stood looking at the new town she was to live in. There was Jessica's farm she was talking about on her left hand side, while Georgia's farm was on the right. Both farms seemed small but prosperous. There was a boy with a little shorter than shoulder-length brown hair in the pasture of Jessica's farm. He was wearing a brown hat, suspenders, and was playing with a young girl with long blond hair that was in pigtails.

"Those must be Jessica's children that she was telling me about." She thought to herself. Jessica had been very frank about Lillian and her son meeting and possibly dating. What was his name again? She couldn't remember. She was horrible with names.

"Ash! Snow wants to play too!" The young girl squealed. Ash! That was his name. Like the pokemon trainer. Just then, she saw someone with wavy burgundy hair waving at her. She stood looking at the girl, puzzled, and then she grinned with glee and waved back.

"Georgia!"

"Lillian!" They ran to each other, Lillian aware of Ash and the little girl looking at them with interest. They hugged and giggled like little school girls. Lillian couldn't remember the last time she did something like that.

"Oh my gosh I have so much to tell you! Here, let me introduce you to everyone first!" Georgia grabbed her by her wrist and dragged her off to Jessica's farm. The siblings got up from playing and went over to the fence of the pasture to meet them when they saw the girls walking over to them.

"Here! This is Cheryl and Ash. They're Jessica's kids, you met her earlier right?" Lillian nodded and blushed. She wasn't used to meeting so many new people. Ash must have seen her blush because he laughed and said

"Not used to so much of a change huh? My mom told me how she was going to welcome the new farmer girl from the city. Don't worry, we're all like family here so don't worry about being so nervous." Lillian smiled and thanked him.

"Thanks. I-"

"Ash this is Lillian! She's one of my best friends!" Georgia interrupted. Lillian didn't care, that's how Georgia always has been. Some people just don't change. She said good-bye to them and before she knew it, Georgia was dragging her to somewhere else.

"Oh isn't Ash just so cute! And he likes animals too! I think we should start going out what do you think Lillian?"

"Uh well I don't really know him so I don't-"

"Oh here's Cam. He's really shy so be nice to him. And don't insult his flowers." Lillian sighed and followed Georgia as she ran ahead of her, probably to warn people about her coming. She felt like she was 10 years old again, running after Georgia everywhere so that she wouldn't get left behind. As she got closer, she saw her leaning over the counter and talking to what must be Cam. He looked rather annoyed and she presumed Georgia was so excited about her being here that she was talking his ears off, especially if he was as shy as she says.

"-she's not as pretty as me, but she's so nice. And she's quiet like you too! Not as quiet as you, because you're super shy, but she OH! Here she is! What took you so long slowpoke?" Lillian smiled at Cam apologetically and walked over to Georgia.

"You're Lillian I presume." She nodded and blushed again. She hated meeting new people. She got so embarrassed every time.

"She's the new farmer and we're going to-" Georgia started. Cam pinched his forehead with his fingers, clearly frustrated.

"Georgia, maybe the reason she's so quiet is because you don't let her talk." Lillian looked at Cam horrified. Georgia's not going to just be mad at Cam, but now her too. She was her only friend in this town and now he's going to get her upset. Georgia's face got red, and Lillian knew what was coming. Georgia huffed, turned abruptly on her heel, and stormed off. Her red hair flicked behind her as she turned and it hit Lillian in the face.

"Great…" Lillian said to herself. Now, on top of starting a new farm and making new friends, she had to fix what little relationship she had with Georgia. With her, she wasn't starting completely over. Georgia was her lifeline, and now she was upset at her because of this guy. She wished then that he wasn't so cute so that she could be more upset with him, but for some reason, his purple vest and matching hat made his emerald eyes look that much more attractive. It was like they were looking into her rather than at her. She had never seen eyes like his before. It made her both excited and nervous at the same time. Lillian shook her head at the thought. No Lillian, no more boys. You remember what happened last time. She sighed and looked at Cam, realizing that he had been looking at her this whole time. She blushed again and when she was about to excuse herself, he said to her

"I guess I'll finish giving you your tour of the town now. It's my fault she left anyways. What a bother…anyways, here let's go see Howard."

"What about your stand?" Lillian asked. She was rather upset at him calling her a bother anyways and didn't know if she wanted him to give her a tour after all.

"So she speaks. Anyways, it'll be fine. I was about to close up. I never have any customers anyways. Just wait a second while I clean up and I'll invite you to Howard and Laney." Lillian agreed, even though rather reluctantly, and waited for him to finish up.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Well, here we are."

Lillian walked into the small café and saw a large muscular man behind the counter. After her first glance however, she saw his makeup and earrings, and was immediately interested in this strange café owner. There were tons of people like this in the city undergrounds and she had many friends like this man. Not many were as old as him though.

"Oh Cammy dear! Who's your new friend?" The man made a very excited face and skipped around the counter over to them.

"She's not my friend Howard." Cam looked down at the wooden floor and shoved his hands in his pockets. Lillian didn't understand why he suddenly got so shy. Didn't he live with this guy? 

"Oh nonsense! Cammy, I've known you since you just a little baby, I can read you like a cook book! Well I guess you weren't a baby, you were at least 79 months old…" Cam grunted and pulled the brim of his hat down over his face, trying to hide his blush. Lillian giggled at the situation and looked at Cam and Howard. She loved seeing a good parental relationship, especially since he apparently wasn't Howard's real child. It reminded her of how her parents always tried to embarrass her in front of friends. Howard smiled at her and put his hands on his hips.

"Look at you! Aren't you just the cutest new thing to come to this town! Your outfit could use some work but if you're going to be running a farm by yourself I guess fashion isn't your main priority…Oh goodness! Where are your manners Howard? I'm Howard dear and Laney is my daughter. We run this café here together. Speaking of that girl, where is she? Laney dear?"

He yelled up the stairs for Laney. The three of them stood in the awkward silence for a good minute that seemed to take forever to pass. Cam was beside her, occasionally shifting his weight from on foot to the other. Howard looked at them apologetically and looked up the stairs again.

"Brainy Laney? Oh Laney….LANEY! GET DOWN HERE I SAID!" Howard's patients was obviously running thin. A few moments later, she heard a distant yelling coming from the second floor

"Hang on! I'm fixing my hair!" Howard sighed and shook his head.

"If I can fix my hair in 30 minutes, yours should take even less than that…"

He was talking more to himself than Cam and Lillian. He was still mumbling about how much work making his hair look just right was when Laney came down the stairs. Lillian was immediately impressed by her beauty. Her pale blonde hair was up into a perfect bun and her face was flawless. Even in her homely looking dress and apron, she was gorgeous. Lillian then felt very self-conscious about what she was wearing. Howard was right, she looked like a mess. Why was she stuck with these clothes the mayor gave her? She sighed and Cam looked up finally from the floor. He gave her a puzzled look and Lillian blushed again. She really wished she would stop doing that.

"Oh I'm so sorry for being so rude! I had no idea we had a visitor. I'm Laney, however I'm sure you figured that out on your own. Who might you be?"

This time Lillian didn't have Georgia to talk for her so she had to do it herself. She resented Cam again for making Georgia mad and making her have to do this kind of thing by herself. She was rather terrible at it. She then realized everyone was looking at her, waiting for a reply. Her face got hot once more and she took Laney's outstretched hand. Even her hands were soft and smooth, not yet damaged by work or age.

"I'm Lillian. It's nice to meet you Laney." Laney smiled at her. My harvest goddess, even her teeth are perfect, Lillian thought to herself. They stopped shaking hands and looked at each other. Lillian put her hands in her apron pockets nervously while turning her gaze down to her shoes. Her shoes are better than mine too she thought to herself. Lillian wished Laney wasn't so nice so that she could hate her.

"Well I better go. It's starting to get dark and I don't want to get lost. Thank you for your hospitality." She turned to walk out the door when Howard proclaimed

"Oh why don't you have Cam go with you? He'd be more than happy to wouldn't you Cammy-kins?"

Cam's eyes got big as he looked from Lillian and Laney to Howard and then back at Lillian. Am I really that bad? Lillian thought to herself.

"Howard I have stuff to do and I-"

"He'll be more than happy to walk you Lillian! Now go on you children, shoo!" He fluttered his hand at them, signaling them to leave. Lillian thought she really must have been a bother, but she saw Howard wink at her and turn away quickly back to the counter so that nobody else could see. What did Howard know about Lillian just from the few moments that they had met? Cam sighed again and told Lillian to go with him. They air had gotten chilly quickly in the few minutes they had been in the café. How long had she actually been in there? Suddenly, Cam started chuckling while they were walking. She turned and looked at him, puzzled

"What's so funny?" Cam's smile quickly faded as he realized what he had done. He blushed and started to stumble over his words.

"I-I was just thinking about…I mean it was just amusing how…well not amusing but it was just…"

"Just say it Cam. You won't insult me or anything." He took a deep breath and was silent for a moment. Lillian was so confused. When she had met him earlier today, he seemed shy, yes, but he also seemed confident and didn't seem to stumble over his words. He didn't seem nervous around her at first. So why now did he seem so uncomfortable?

"I was just…I saw how you looked at Laney. I thought it was kind of amusing." Lillian felt her face get red and looked at her feet. One foot in front of the other, she stared at them transfixed. Left right, left right. She just saw her red shoes switch back and forth from her right eye to her left. She starred at her feet and started avoiding the holes in the dirt road that connected the town to her house. Just then she remembered how she had looked at her and Laney's shoes.

"How exactly did I look at Laney?" She asked him. She didn't know where this sudden burst of confidence came from, but it kind of scared her. She also kind of liked it though. She looked up from her amazingly interesting feet and looked at Cam and saw his face was as red as the roses he had been selling earlier that day.

"You just seemed really down when you saw her, like you wish you were her. Laney is really pretty, so I'm guessing you were jealous of her and felt insecure around her. I don't know why though you're just as pretty as her if not more so…"

He had been mumbling the entire thing and the last part was barely a whisper. He had been talking so quickly and softly that she could almost see the words roll off his tongue. She had also noticed he was looking as his shoes just as she had been just a few moments ago. Lillian didn't know whether she should say something about what he had said or pretend that she hadn't heard it. She knew he would have preferred the latter option, but part of her still wanted to get back at him for calling her a bother. However, that spur of confidence lasted much shorter than she had wished.

"Do you mean that?" She spoke as quietly as he had been. They both walked in silence for a while, both of them beat red in the face. Both of them gave quiet thanks that it had gotten dark quickly so that the other didn't know that they were blushing

"I'm just saying that beauty is more than skin deep." Before Lillian had time to answer him, he abruptly said

"We're here." She continued to look at her feet as she thanked Cam for walking her home. He said it wasn't a problem, but warned her not to get used to it. She stood in front of her door, still unfamiliar with the building. She looked all the way up to the roof and sighed, looking at the rusty weathervane on top. It had reminded her of a poem her friend back in the city had written. For some reason, she felt like her life was that rusty rooster perched at the top of her new home. It had so many potential directions to take, but fate had prevented it from doing that. Now it was stuck in place, never to go where it may had wanted to. He must have seen the look on her face because he said

"You'll get used to it eventually. New beginnings are always tough." She smiled at him and thanked him once more and walked into her new home.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

About a week had passed since Lillian's first day in her new town. Much had happened since then. Georgia and she had quickly patched things up, as long as Lillian promised to never do it again. She had bought a lamb from Jessica's farm and a dog from Grady. Both of the owners were ecstatic to see her buy an animal from each of them, they both complimented her and praised her on how well she was doing on her own. Lillian's face would get hot, as usual, and she would quickly thank them and be on her way. Rutger showed her how to plant and raise crops, although she already knew fairly well how to do that as well. By now, she had developed a routine. She would wake up, play with and feed Jake, and then water what little crops she had. She could tell Jake wasn't too fond of her unless she was feeding him because he would barely look at her when she would call him name. She always had been good with dogs though, so she knew was just a matter of time before he warmed up to her. After tending the crops and Jake, she would go and pet Kim, who had grown into a full-fledged hen by now and was laying eggs for Lillian every day. As thanks for the eggs, she would cuddle Kim and let her outside to run around and find food if the weather permitted. After her chickens, she would go to the barn and brush, pet, and milk Mary. Out of all of her animals, Mary seemed to like her best. She would moo pleasantly when she heard the barn door opening, knowing Lillian was coming in to greet her. Lillian would smile and kiss her head, thanking her and wishing her a good morning. Jill, her new lamb, was not quite as excited to see her, but Lillian knew that patience was a virtue. She loved cuddling and playing with Jill. Her wool was still lamb soft and was a highlight of Lillian's day. She would fall asleep on her wool if she could. She would then let Jill out and let Jake take out Mary to the pasture.

After tending to her farm, Lillian would go talk to Georgia and they would discuss about things like animals and boys, usually it was boys. It was mostly Georgia talking, but Lillian didn't mind, she was just glad to have a friend. After talking to Georgia for a while, she would go over to the café and talk to Howard. He had quickly become a father/mother figure to her and she liked talking to him. He was one of the few people she actually talked to in town. Aside from saying 'hello' to anyone she saw, she never engaged into a full conversation with anyone except for Howard and Georgia, and occasionally Laney. Howard would talk to her about gossip or cooking and then would give her something for breakfast. She always tried to pay, but occasionally he wouldn't let her. He would tell her to spend it on something nice for herself or get him a present before walking away and winking at her. After eating her breakfast, she would leave and would go foraging in the mountains until she had to go home, put her animals away, and go to sleep. This she did every day and was content with this new life she had established.

One day, she had done her usual morning chores and was on her way to Georgia's when she saw her talking to someone. From far away, she wasn't able to tell who it was. Deciding from their silhouette, she knew they were taller than both of them and was a male, but she wasn't sure who it was still. She wasn't sure if she should go talk to her like normal, but she kept walking closer so that she could find out who it was. Once she was a couple of yards away, she was able to figure out that the mystery person was Ash. Now she knew it was a good idea to just keep walking to Howard's café, best not interrupt Georgia while she was flirting to her potential boyfriend. She was sure Georgia would yell at her about messing her up or for distracting her or something else if she interrupted them. The closer she got to them, the more nervous she got. She begged for neither of them to notice her walking by, so she walked as quickly and quietly as she could. She was so concerned about not being noticed that she hadn't noticed the one pot hole in the road that caused her to trip and fall. She gave a high-pitched squeal of surprise as she saw the dirt ground getting closer and closer to her. She quickly put her hands in front of her face just in time. She felt the skin tear on the heel of both of her palms and her elbow cut into a rock on the ground. She started to feel the blood come from the cuts and she realized she had skid both of her knees as well. The places that had gotten hit hardest were pulsing and she begged herself to not cry. She heard footsteps coming and she knew that she had messed up her plan utterly and completely. She began tearing up not from the pain of the fall, but from embarrassment. She sat up slowly and carefully, trying her best not to get more dirt in her cuts than she already had. When she got up, she saw Ash bending down in front of her with a concerned look on his face and Georgia right behind him with a face containing an equal amount of worry.

"Are you alright?" Ash asked Lillian gently. He went to go rub some dirt off her face, but she swatted his hand away. She could feel her eyes filling up and she begged her eyelids to become better dams. Please don't cry on top of this please Lillian please don't cry. You've already embarrassed yourself enough already please stop.

"I- I'm fine. I just didn't see the hole. I was being careless." She sniffed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, trying her best to compose herself. She saw Ash's face get soft and he tried again to wipe her face, but this time she didn't reject the gesture. He wiped her fresh hot tear that was starting to get past the dam with his thumb and smiled at her. She knew that if her face could have gotten any redder than it already was, it would have right then and there. She looked at Georgia in terror and she saw her smiling at her. Why is she smiling at me? She would normally hate me for getting this much attention from a boy she likes.

"You're tough you know that? Come on, let's get you some help." Ash stood up and offered Lillian his outstretched hand. She took it without thinking, forgetting about the blood and dirt on her hands. She stood up slowly, wincing at the pain in her knees. She looked down and saw the blood racing down her legs and staining her white socks. Apologizing to Ash about his hands, she reassured him that she would be fine. She insisted that she just needed to get to Howard's café for some bandages and to clean herself up. His face grew stern, but Georgia came to Lillian's side and assured him that she would walk her there to make sure she was alright. He didn't seem to like the idea as much as taking Lillian there himself, but he finally decided it was alright and walked off. Georgia put an arm around Lillian's waist and they began walking to Howard's slowly.

"I'm so sorry Georgia. I was trying to be subtle and not get noticed because I know you like him and I saw you guys talking and I just I'm so sorry Georgia." She smiled at Lillian and giggled a little bit.

"Oh Lillian, you're such a worry wart. I wouldn't have minded if you came over and talked with us. In fact, I had been hoping you would. You're so shy and you hardly talk to anyone except for Howard and I, I was hoping that with me being there, it would have been easier for you to talk to Ash." Lillian's face scrunched up in confusion.

"But you like him I thought that-"

"You thought what? That I'd forget about my best friend so I can talk to some boy? Lillian, you really have to start talking to people, especially if you think I'd throw you away so easily. I love you like my sister, you'll always come first." Lillian smiled and snickered a bit.

"I'm sorry. I just always get worried…" Georgia threw her a scornful glare.

"Lillian, I've told you already. There isn't anybody else who is going to treat you like Mike did. I'll make sure of that." Lillian sighed and nodded, not wanting to continue the conversation if it was going down the path she saw it going down, especially since they were almost at Howard's. They were going up the steps when she saw Cam outside by his flower stand. Before she had enough time to beg to the harvest goddess for him to not turn around and see her, he did. His gaze was down at his work, but when he heard the footsteps, he looked up with a bored look on his face. When he saw the scene set up before him, his face filled with more worry than both Ash's and Georgia's had. She could imagine what he was seeing. Lillian limping, almost hopping on one leg, her dress covered in dirt, torn at some parts. Trails of blood going down her legs and arms and while she had been talking to Georgia, she felt a hot stream start by her temple and slowly drag down her face. Her hands apparently hadn't been to the rescue fast enough. Cam rushed over as fast as he could and asked what had happened. Lillian was too embarrassed to answer, so Georgia did for her.

"She tripped and fell." He looked Lillian up and down and declared

"You got THAT torn up from tripping? Are you kidding me?" Georgia threw him a death glare and he quieted. They walked through the door of the café and saw nobody in sight.

"Cam, where's Howard and Laney?" He looked at them with a sad expression on his face

"They're both gone at the Town Hall. Here, bring her to my room. I'll help patch her up." He quickly walked in front of them and showed her to his room. She sat down on his bed and they both looked at her with worry etched on their faces. Cam was the first to snap out of it and said that he was going to go get the first aid kit and instructed Georgia to get a bowl of warm water and a wash cloth. They both ran off and Lillian sat there in silence, feeling the blood stop flowing and start sticking onto her skin. A few minutes later, they both returned and Georgia took off Lillian's shoes and socks before she began wiping the blood and dirt off her legs. Cam took another damp cloth and started doing same with her arms. They would dap and pat the cloth when they go to the cuts. Once everything except her face and clothes had been wiped down, Cam began applying the disinfectant to her wounds.

"This is going to sting." He warned her before he began applying it to the cut on her left knee. Georgia stood and watched him carefully, furrowing her eyebrows in concern. She had never seen Georgia so worried, especially about her.

"Georgia you can go." She looked at her in disbelief.

"But Lillian look at yourself, you-" For the first time ever, Lillian cut off Georgia.

"Georgia, I'm fine. You need to get back to your farm and help your dad. He must be worried about you by now." Lillian did the best she could to make a stern face. They locked eyes for a while, seeing who would back down first. Cam kept quiet, applying to disinfectant to the same cut over and over again.

"I promise Georgia." Her faces softened and she sighed, knowing she had been beat. Lillian always meant things when she promised, whether she was keeping one or was simply assuring something she had said.

"Fine, I'll go. But Cam, you had better take good care of her, do you hear me? Otherwise, I'll get Howard on you." Georgia couldn't see, but Lillian saw Cam smirk.

"Whatever you say." Georgia shook her head and walked out of Cam's room. Before she left, she stopped at his doorway, looked behind her, gave Lillian a reassuring look, and walked out. Cam began dabbing at the other knee now, being extremely strategic and careful about where he was putting the rag.

"Thank you." Lillian said softly.

"Don't mention it." They sat there in silence for a while, unsure of what to say to each other. The silence was incredibly uncomfortable to Lillian, but Cam kept on cleaning her wounds, now moving to her hands. Her face flushed when his hands touched hers, noticing how soft his hands were. She wished that their hands would entwine and she would be able to feel his gentle touch between her fingers, feel like they belonged together. She quickly pushed the thought away and asked

"Can I help at all?"

"You can stop tripping." She looked down at her lap and felt her face get red, this time from the fresh tears she felt bubbling over. Stop it Lillian. Stop being such a baby. You haven't cried since mama and papa died and you won't again do you hear me? Grow up already. You are a strong, independent woman and you need to stop crying over something so dumb, got it? She was interrupted from her own pep talk when she heard Cam speak again

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. It's not like you tripped on purpose." Lillian didn't answer for a while, unsure of what to say. What was with this guy? He was so confusing. At one moment, he's a complete and total jerk, and the next he's a sweetheart. What was wrong with him? As if he could hear her thoughts, he said

"I guess I've just been kind of jealous of you." She looked at him, puzzled.

"Jealous? Of ME? Why in the world would you be jealous of me?" He had moved on from her hand to her elbow which stung the most than any of her other wounds when he put the disinfectant on it. He waited a moment before answering her question.

"Because you don't talk to anyone that much, but everyone in town loves you anyways. I just wish people liked me as much as they liked you." Lillian looked at him, unsure of what to think. She wasn't sure if he was being serious. Did everyone in town really like her? He was right that she didn't do much around the town, especially when it came to talking to people. He interrupted her thoughts and continued.

"I'm shy too though. I just don't know why people like you more than they like me." Lillian finally understood what was wrong with Cam. He was lost and confused just like her


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

They sat there in silence, Lillian unsure of what to think. First of all, this boy was supposed to be extremely shy. Why was he talking to her so much? Especially since they hadn't said more than two words after the first day she had met him. She just continued to stare at her torn up hands in her lap. Cam was done disinfecting her wounds and was now bandaging them carefully. She noticed how slowly and delicately he was wrapping her up and found it rather strange. She had never seen someone apply bandages like that. Lillian decided that instead of wracking her head about why he was so open with her to instead take advantage of it.

"Cam?" She spoke softly, regretting she had said anything. Cam seemed unfazed and continued with his work of wrapping her up. After a moment he answered her with a "hmm?" and she decided to ask

"What happened to your real parents?" Cam stopped but didn't look up at her. He seemed to be thinking himself, like he had forgotten what had happened to them and was trying to remember. She knew she shouldn't have said anything when she saw the blank expression on his face. Her curiosity got the better of her though, and she knew that Georgia had been right, she had to start talking to people more. And if Cam was willing to let her into his mysterious little circle, she was going to take advantage of it.

"I'll tell you what happened to mine if you tell me what happened to yours." Was his answer. She didn't know what to say. Nobody had asked what happened to her parents for months and she still didn't like talking about it. She remembered everyone asking for an explanation and she had to repeat the story over and over again to the point where it had just become an automatic response.

"What makes you think something happened to them?" She had said it without thinking. However, it wasn't as if she hadn't been wondering that.

"Because nobody comes to run a farm all by themselves, without any help, unless something happened, especially when that person comes to a stick in the mud town like this one to do it." Lillian looked at her lap, fighting back tears. She had promised herself that she wasn't going to cry again at her parents' funeral, and she was not about to break that promise. As she was struggling against herself, she heard Cam's voice again

"Fine, I'll at least go first. Then you can tell me after if you want to. Deal?" Lillian simply nodded silently and Cam began.

"I don't really miss them. You can't miss anything you didn't really had, right? Well, my parents gave me up when I was six years old, and I although I remember a few things about them, not many of them are good. I remember how they looked, and they looked very homely I suppose. My mom was beautiful and my father once said that he was glad that I got my mother's eyes. My father had a beard I remember because I pointed out how he looked like Paul Bunion in my book that I read every night before I went to sleep. They were always fighting though. Always. I would hear dishes and other things break constantly and my parents were always yelling at each other. I don't think the yelling hardly ever stopped. I was always hiding in my room when they started fighting so I never saw anything, but now when I look back on it, I knew that the fights got physical. My father smelled like booze all the time, so my mother would fill the house with flowers to try and block out the smell of the alcohol. I guess that's why I like flowers so much, they remind me of the good intentions of my mother. She always put my best interests before herself, which is why she gave me to Howard. Howard was friends with my mother and he offered to take care of both of us, not just me. He wanted us to get away from my father. So she came here and we stayed with Howard, bot h of us, for about a year. After a year, my mother got news that my father had cancer and she quickly left to go to him, but she left me here. She told me the night before she left that she wouldn't be gone for longer than a season and she would bring me back some flowers. That was the last time I heard from my mother." Cam had finished wrapping her up and sat back, looking at the bandages to make sure that he did them right. Lillian wanted to touch him so that he knew that she was here for him, but she didn't. She didn't know if he would take offense to that or what he would interpret it as. So instead, she completed their deal instead

"My mama and papa were visiting my grandmother in the countryside because she had fallen ill. We all used to live there until we got enough money to move into the city. They said that they would be back home that night and to make sure I locked everything up. They didn't want anything to happen to me. I guess they were so paranoid because grandpa had just passed the year before and now, with grandma being sick, they didn't want to risk anything. It was storming though, and from what the driver told me, a tree fell directly on top of the carriage. It was destroyed. We were lucky to be able to have an open casket funeral for them." She knew she hadn't gotten as in depth as Cam had, but she couldn't do it. If she did, she knew the tears would start again and she didn't want that. Just then, she felt arms wrap around her and she felt her cheek press against Cam's chest. The embrace had made her feel warm, and not just from her embarrassment. It made her feel warm in the inside as well. She couldn't remember the last time she felt a hug like this, it felt so right and she suddenly didn't remember her parents' death at all. She just enjoyed the moment and wanted it to never end. Unfortunately, it ended almost as quickly as it had started and Cam pulled away from her.

"I'm sorry. I had no idea you had gone through so much pain Lillian." She damned herself quickly for feeling the way she did, and replied

"It's fine. It's not like you knew. You've been though a lot, too though." He smiled at her.

"I guess that's why I'm so open with you. We have more in common than I thought." She smiled back and just then, the door to Cam's room creaked open. She saw Howard standing there, taking up the entire doorway and noticed how he had to slightly bend down to get through it.

"Oh my harvest goddess! What happened Lillian?" She smiled at him reassuringly and told him

"I just fell. Cam here took care of me." He looked at Cam, appalled, and then back to Lillian. His face slowly changed from one of shock to one of mischief.

"You two are just so cute! Lillian, let me talk to you for a second dear." Howard came and sat next to Lillian on Cam's bed, making the springs squeal in horror at all of the newly added weight. Cam looked at the two of them in confusion, and Lillian gave her an apologetic smile, also clueless as to what Howard was doing. Howard shot Cam a glare.

"Uh dear. This is an A – B conversation so please C your way out." Cam looked at him in disbelief.

"You've got to be kidding. Howard this is my room!" Howard folded his arms across his chest and stuck his bottom lip out.

"Oh boo hoo you big baby. This is my house. My house, my rules." Cam grunted in disgust and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Howard's face changed from stern to ecstatic and a matter of seconds.

"So dear, what did Cam say to you?" Lillian looked at her newly bandaged hands and twisted her fingers around. She didn't know whether she should say anything since it was obviously something very personal to Cam. She didn't want everyone in town knowing what happened to her parents, so she figured Cam would want the same. However, she remembered him saying that Howard knew his mother, so she figured he knew everything. She decided to try and say it as nonchalantly as she possibly could.

"We just talked about our parents." Howard's face changed once again, only this time it was a slow and gradual alteration. His smile faded and changed to one of both worry and amazement. His mouth slightly opened and his eyes got big while his eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement.

"Did he tell you about them or did you just talk about yours?" Howard asked. He didn't know about Lillian's parents, but she could tell by the look on his face he definitely knew about Cam's.

"Yes he did. Why?" Howard's face relaxed a bit and put his arm around Lillian's shoulders delicately, being careful to not hurt her. He pulled her into her, just as her father had done to her.

"Cam hasn't told anyone about his parents. Even Laney doesn't know the complete story, and she lives with him. That boy must really like you if he decided to tell you about them. I know he can be difficult at times, but he also needs a friend. He has Ash and Laney, but he doesn't seem to connect with them as much as he seems to have done with you." Lillian looked at Howard and he smiled at her.

"I just want him to be happy, and he seems to be whenever he's around you. I can tell he likes you and from the looks of things, you like him too. So please put up with him would you dear?" She returned his smile this time and said yes. He stood up and helped her get up from the bed. She heard the springs sigh with relief when they both got up from the bed. He hugged her and thanked her again for being so kind to Cam.

Lillian was walking home slowly and carefully, making sure to try and not undo the bandages at all. Cam had wound them up delicately but they were stiff and she could hardly move her joints at all. Ash saw her walking like she was on stilts and ran over to her. She heard him coming over so she stopped and waited for him. He was slightly out of breath when he was next to her.

"Hey Lillian! Feeling better I take it?" He smiled at her and she smiled back.

"Yes, thank you Ash." They started walking again and he started frowning. She looked at him, confused.

"What is it?" They stopped and looked at each other. Ash was concerned, but Lillian didn't know why. Was he worried that she would trip and fall again? Just then, his face lit up and he snapped his fingers.

"Ah! That's it!" Suddenly, she felt one forearm go behind her knees and the other one behind her back and before she knew it, he was carrying her. She squealed in surprise and he laughed at her, holding her bridal style.

"Ash stop it! Put me down!" He continued laughing and began walking again to her farm, still holding her.

"Oh stop. You need to stop moving and let your wounds heal and you can't do that if you're walking. I'm doing you a favor." She made a pouting face and he laughed at her again. Lillian hadn't noticed how strong Ash was before, but now that he was carrying her all the way home without a problem, she was impressed. He started talking to her about his sister Cheryl and how she bothers him all the time. He loves her, he said, but she needs someone besides him to play with. Lillian said she would try to play with her if she had time and he thanked her with a beautiful smile. Once they got to her house, he opened the door and put her down on her bed. She was about to get back up when he put his hand in front of her, stopping her. She looked at him in disbelief.

"Ash I have to put the animals away I can't just-" He put a finger to her lips and grinned.

"I'll take care of them for you, don't worry. You just need to get better alright?" She scowled at him again, but knew that she wouldn't be able to win this one. Besides, now that the adrenaline from the fall had left, now she was exhausted. She took off her shoes and Ash gave her one last beaming grin before walking out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next morning, Lillian was awakened by a knock on her door. She slowly opened her eyes and thought to herself, what is that noise? It took her a few minutes and a few more knocks on the door for her to realize what was happening. She groaned and slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands. She wasn't too delirious to remember what had happened the day before, so she made sure not to ruin the bandages. She heard a knock again and some voices outside. She could tell they were males, but she couldn't make out anything other than that. There was one more knock and she yelled back at it.

"Yeah, yeah I'm coming." She swung her legs over the side of her bed took in a deep breath. For a farmer, it still took her a long time to fully wake up. She slowly pushed herself up and walked towards her door. The voices on the other side of the door kept going back and forth, one voice was louder than the other. She opened the door and as she did, it didn't once occur to her to figure out who it was. Standing on her doorstep were her two favorite bachelors, Cam and Ash. She stood there for a moment, trying to figure out who it was, her eyes still half closed. Once it registered, her eyes got wide and her face burnt up, realizing what she looked like.

"I knew we shouldn't have come here so early."

"Well when did you want to come over? She wakes up so early we had to come here now." Lillian shook her head and looked at Cam and Ash, filled with confusion.

"I-uh..so wait what... What are you guys doing here?" Cam gave Ash an 'I told you so' look and Ash smiled.

"Well we both know that you got hurt yesterday so we figured we would come and help you out today!" She looked at Cam and he just shrugged at her. She wanted to think he volunteered to come here like Ash probably did, but she got a feeling that Ash dragged him into it. Lillian scratched her head and tried her best to figure out her thoughts.

"I uh…alright if you want just…give me a second to not look like a mess please." Cam said nothing and just looked at the ground, shifting his feet. Ash smiled at her and agreed. Lillian closed the door and scrambled around her small house getting dressed quickly. Jake was laying down watching her, confused about what the problem was. He grudgingly got up when Lillian was putting her bandana in her hair. She sighed and looked at Jake with a smile.

"Ready?" He waved his tail and barked as a reply to her. She giggled and went back outside, Jake by her side. Once they got outside, Jake immediately ran to the barn to let out Mary. Cam and Ash looked up towards Lillian when they heard the front door open and close. When they saw her standing there, they both got up and the same time and walked to her.

"So what do you want us to do?" Ash asked her pleasantly. She looked at Cam who had the same expression on his face as he did when she first opened the door. Was he mad at her for yesterday? She didn't know that he would get that mad at her for Howard kicking him out of his own room. Ash stood there patiently, waiting for a reply.

"Uhm.. well why don't you take care of the animals Ash. Cam could water my crops if he wants to, that would be great. I can go back inside and make some breakfast for you guys if you'd like…" Ash beamed.

"That'd be great! Cam can you water the crops for her?" Cam sighed and looked up at Lillian finally. Her heart skipped a beat when she looked into his emerald eyes. She felt her cheeks flushing again when he answered.

"I'll need a watering can in order to do that." Lillian looked around and realized that she had left it in her storage in her house.

"You guys go get the watering can. I'm going to go get started since I just brought my own tools." He waved at them and walked off to the barn. Lillian opened the door and invited Cam inside as she walked over to her tool chest. She was rummaging through all of her junk, wondering where her watering can could be. She continued shifting through all of her things: wool that she kept, some crop seeds, a few ores she had found in the mountain. Finally, she saw the green handle and pulled it out from all of her other things. Sighed in content, she finally turned around to give it to Cam. She hadn't realized that it might have occurred to her that he wasn't right behind her like she thought he would be. She looked around and her heart sank when she saw he was at her book case.

"I found it!" She said loudly, hoping he would stop reading whatever it was he was looking at and look at her instead. But he kept on looking at the book, unfazed. She walked over to him quickly and took the book out of his hands and replacing it with the watering can. He looked up at her and she gave him a scornful glare.

"Did you write that?" Cam asked her casually. She looked down at the book and realized it was the one book in her entire shelf she didn't want him to read.

"It's rude to go through people's things Cam." She went to put the book away and he touched her wrist. She looked up at him and his face had gotten softer.

"Did you write that?" He asked again. She dropped her gaze and looked down at the wooden floor. Her face didn't get red from his touch like it normally did. After much contemplation, she looked back up at him and she told him the truth.

"Yes…" She felt his hand twitch. She looked at him and she could tell he was debating with himself like she always did. She took her hand off the book and he grabbed her wrist kindly. She just looked at him, unsure of what he was going to do next.

"Those poems were beautiful Lillian…I-I really liked them." She felt his hand slowly let go of its gentle grip and slowly move over the top of her own hand. His palm slid over her fingers and go around them before his palm found hers. Her face grew a bright red as his fingers slid in between her own. She was watching their hands dance and once it registered to her that they were holding hands, she looked up at him and saw that he was blushing too. She felt like her brain and heart were doing marathons with how fast both of them were racing. She felt like she was having an anxiety attack, but she didn't dare take a breath in case it would wake her up from this dream.

"Did-did you really like them?" His other hand let go of the watering can and he slid it around her waist. The watering can made a loud noise as it fell to the ground and struck it, ruing the moment. He put his hand on the small of her back and pulled her into him and he leaned into her. She felt his hair on her cheek as he leaned in to whisper to her. His hair smelled like his garden.

"I really did. I'd like for you to read them to me though. Poems are always better heard than read, don't you think?" Lillian didn't dare move in fear that the moment would end. Cam didn't move either to her relief; she wanted to smell his flowery hair longer. The door began to creak open and they both jumped away from each other. Lillian returned to the bookshelf, pretending to organize the books. Cam hastily picked up the watering can and began walking away from Lillian and towards the door. Ash stood in the doorway, oblivious to what had just happened.

"Hey Cam! What's taking so long?" Cam brushed by his shoulders as he walked through the door and Ash looked after him.

"What's wrong with him?" Ash asked her. Lillian didn't look away from the bookshelf.

"I don't know." She told him. Unfortunately, she was telling him the truth.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

After the incident with Cam, he had left Lillian's farm after watering her crops. Lillian was upset about his sudden departure, but she had promised breakfast, so she made and omelet for Ash who wouldn't stop saying how delicious it was. He gave her a hug good-bye and she thanked him for all his help. The next day, Lillian decided to get to the bottom of things. She was not one to play games, especially when it came to boys. After doing her usual morning chores, she walked over to Georgia's as usual. Her heart was beating so fast in her chest that she had to put a fist just below her collar bone in fear that it would jump out of her body. She knew she had to tell Georgia about Ash and how she thought he liked her. I'm too honest for my own good, she thought to herself as she walked towards the horse farm. Georgia turned around and waved to Lillian happily.

"Hey hun! How are you today? Feeling better? I know Ash and Cam went over yesterday to help you out on your farm. I wanted to go but daddy said I had to help with the horses. I really wish he would let me do things. I'm more mature for my age than he thinks I am…" Georgia started going off and Lillian knew it wasn't going to stop any time soon. She took a deep breath and interrupted her.

"Georgia I think Ash likes me." Georgia stopped and looked at her. Lillian braced for impact, but what she told her was not what she expected.

"That's great! But wait don't you like Cam? Oh goodness you are just so popular aren't you!" Lillian looked at her, mouth agape. She quickly shook her head and looked at Georgia puzzled.

"Wait I…Georgia I thought you liked Ash?" Georgia giggled in response.

"Oh I did. But there's this other boy in the other village that is MUCH hotter than Ash. His name is Kana and he loves horses like me. He likes to pick on me, but that just means he's interested." Lillian sighed in relief. All of that worrying for the blow up, only to find out that she had moved on. Thank goodness. But she was right about one thing, she was pretty sure both of them liked her. What was she supposed to do? She'd never had this problem before. It used to be hard enough for her to find just one boy interested in her. Now there were two and she had no idea what to do about it. She decided it was best to ask her popular friend.

"Uh Georgia?" She smiled at her pleasantly before responding.

"Yes Lilly?" She felt her face get flushed once again, although it was rare for her to do it in front of Georgia.

"Which one…I mean uhm..well what do you think I should do?" She started playing with her hands as she started tripping over her words. Georgia looked confused and then she put her hands up to her cheeks and cupped her face from joy. She squealed and then did a slight hop before grabbing Lillian by the hands.

"You are just so cute! Oh! Well which one of them do you like the most?" Lillian looked down at her shoes and pondered on her question. Who did she have stronger feelings for? She thought it was Cam but she didn't want to make the wrong choice. Georgia interrupted her thoughts before she could decide.

"I don't think you should answer that yet. If I were you, I'd talk to them and see what they say. You seem awful confused so try and straighten things out with the two of them. I know you. You like everything flat on the table. Try and figure out as much as you can and you can talk to me about what you decide tomorrow alright?" Lillian looked at her in shock, but then smiled gently. It suddenly occurred to her that Georgia was a much better friend than she had initially thought. Sure she got on her nerves every once in a while, but she always had Lillian's best interests in mind.

"Well what are you waiting for? Go talk to Cam. He seems to be the hardest for you to figure out." They hugged and waved good-bye before departing. Her pace was slower to Cam than it was to Georgia; she hadn't had all night to think about what to say to Cam like she had for her best friend. When she got to his stand, he had his back to her, busy doing something with the flowers behind him. Lillian took in a deep breath and said

"Hello Cam." He stopped what he had been doing but didn't turn around. He paused for a moment before slowly turning towards the front of his stand. His gaze refused to meet hers.

"Hello Lillian." They stood there in an uncomfortable silence for a moment. She knew that since she initiated the conversation, he thought it was her job to keep it going.

"Can we talk when you're done with work?" He finally raised his eyes and an eyebrow and looked at her.

"About what?" Cam asked. Lillian crossed her arms and gave him a stern look.

"About you and how confusing you are." She couldn't see, but she could tell from his torso moving that he was shifting his feet again. She started to notice a pattern about him when he did that. At least she thought she did, she wanted to make sure. And this talk they would have would help her answer that question and many more.

"I don't know. I think I have things to do…" His voice started to drift off at the end of the sentence and his eyes found something interesting to look at on his stand. Lillian sighed and uncrossed her arms. She felt her face relax and she spoke more softly this time.

"Please? I'll read you a poem if you come over…and I'll even make dinner since you missed breakfast yesterday." He looked up at her for the second time, except this time he held his gaze. He smiled that gorgeous smile she had grown to love and replied.

"Yes that sounds nice. I get off at 5:30 so I can be at your place at 6 if you'd like." She returned his smile and said

"Penne pasta sound good?" He chuckled and said it was a good idea. Before she left, Lillian summoned up all of her courage and put her hand on top of Cam's and leaned over the stand towards him. She felt her face get hot but she knew she couldn't back down, she was too far to turn away now. She leaned over by his face so that their cheeks were touching and she felt how feverish his had gotten by her touch. She put her mouth by his ear and smelled his flowery hair before whispering.

"For the record, you look much better when you smile." She pulled away quickly and turned on her heel away from him. She began walking towards the request board briskly with a smile of triumph on her face.

For the rest of the day, Lillian did her usual chores quickly. She checked the request board, talked to the rest of the villagers in Bluebell, and went to see Enrique. To her luck, he was selling flour and oil that day, so she made sure to buy some. She had some in her storage, but she wanted to make sure she had fresh ingredients. After saying good-bye to Enrique, she went and started foraging in the mountains. She found a nice stream and started fishing on the dock there. She had taken off her shoes and stuck her feet into the stream, relaxing her feet after running around so much. She didn't have a lot of down time, so she took advantage of the moment as much as she could. When she noticed the sun starting to go down, she figured she had better start heading home to cook dinner. Pasta wasn't very difficult or took very long, but she wanted to make sure she had everything. By the end of the day, she had caught a total of 5 fish and she was happy with her catches that day. She put the fish in the Bluebell shipping bin along with whatever else she didn't plan on keeping for gifts to give to people. She returned home and put the animals away a little early so that she wouldn't forget.

When she walked up to her door, she was about to walk in when she looked up and saw the weathervane on top of her house again. For some reason, it really bothered her that it was rusted. It wasn't like she ever used it, but the fact that it couldn't move was irritating to her. She decided that she would fix it as soon as she could. Then she walked in and started making dinner. She saw it was almost 5:30, so she figured it would be ready by the time he got there. As she started pouring the water into the pot, she suddenly felt nervous. For some reason, it hadn't hit her until now that this was technically a date. This was her first date with Cam and she hadn't even known it until a few minutes before it was supposed to happen. She took a deep breath and continued making dinner as normal, trying to keep her mind off of things. After a few minutes of the noodles cooking, Lillian heard a knock on the door. She jumped and had nearly tipped over the pot from surprise of the noise. She took in a deep breath and walked over to her door and answered it. Jake was watching her carefully, making sure he wasn't needed.

"Hello again Lillian." He said to her, smiling. She felt her heart skip a beat and her blood rushed to her face quickly.

"Hi Cam." She tried her best to return his smile but the confidence she had felt from earlier that day was gone. She managed a weak grin and invited him in.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The dinner went along nicely. The pasta was finished about 10 minutes after Cam arrived and he complimented her on how organized she was. Lillian blushed in response, as usual, and whispered to him a soft thank you. As dinner progressed, she started to relax. His calm composure most likely was what helped her, but cooking always helped calm her down as well. They mostly talked about their work and she found out that Cam was rather fond of cats, while she explained that she was a dog lover. When she told him how she made all of the food from scratch, including the sauce, he told her how proud Howard would be of her. He said that Bluebell should be winning more cooking contests if they had her on their team. Why they would lose any at all was beyond his understanding. She giggled and thanked him after he had said this. When he saw her smile at him, his face got flushed and he looked down at his food, concentrating on eating. When both of their plates were clean, they leaned back in their chairs as if they had just been working in the fields all day. They made eye contact and laughed, enjoying how both of them were thinking the same thing as they both held their bellies. When the laughter had died down, they looked at each other, Lillian unsure of what to say.

"So Lillian, when do I get to hear a poem by you?" Cam asked. Her smile quickly faded as she remembered that she promised to read a poem by her to him. When she looked at him though, his face was encouraging, but gentle. She slowly got up and went over to her bookcase to find her journal. She pretended to rummage through her books and notepads even though she knew exactly where the journal was. Finally, she decided she was looking idiotic by not finding it, so she grabbed the book and walked over to her bed. She sat down on it, looking at the cover of the notebook, when she felt the bed shift to her right. Cam had sat down next to her. She slowly handed the book to him and told him

"Go through and find one you'd like me to read. I can't guarantee you'll like it though."

"I'm sure I will." She hadn't made eye contact with him at all, but she could tell by his response that he was smiling. She heard him shifting through the pages, thinking about which one he wanted to hear very carefully. Lillian made sure not to look at the pages as he was flipping through them, she didn't want to know which one he picked until she had to. Finally, the pages stopped making music and she felt the journal being placed back into her hands, opened. She looked and saw the title of the poem and turned to him.

"I'm not done with that one." She informed him.

"I know. I want to hear what you have now though." He smiled at her reassuringly and she sighed. She contemplated on arguing with him to pick another one, but she knew it would be hopeless. He was more stubborn than she had thought. So, taking in a deep breath, she began with the title.

"Shake the Dust…" She stopped after that, trying to regain her composure. She had never read a poem she had written to somebody else before and she was terrified. What if he didn't like it? What if he thought she had too much baggage after hearing it? Why did she promise to do this for him? None of those things mattered now though, she had to keep going. She took in another deep breath and read slowly.

"This is for the benches and the people sitting on them,

for the bus drivers driving a million broken hymns,

for the men who have to hold down three jobs simply to hold up their children,

for the nighttime schoolers, and for the midnight bikers who are trying to fly

...Shake the Dust...

This is for the two year olds who cannot be understood because they speak half English and half God, shake the dust,

for the girls whose brothers are going crazy,

For those gym class wall flowers and for the twelve year old kids afraid of taking public showers,

for the kid whose always late to class because he forgets the combination to his locker,

for a girl who loves somebody else

shake the dust.

This is for the hard men...the hard men who want love but know it won't come...

For the ones who are forgotten,

for the ones the amendments do not stand up for,

for the ones who are told to speak only when spoken to and then are never spoken to.

Speak every time you stand so that you do not forget yourself,

never let a moment go by you that doesn't remind you that your heart beats 900 times a day...

That there are enough gallons of blood to make you an ocean.

Do not settle for letting these waves that settle and for the dust to collect in your veins.

Shake the dust…."**

She slowly closed to notebook and sat there in the silence. She knew that this time it was Cam's turn to break the silence, and she was going to make him. They continued to sit there on her small bed and Lillian could almost hear the cranks turning in his head as he thought about what to say.

"Why can't you do that?" He finally questioned. She looked at him, confused.

"Do what?" She inquired. He put his hand on top of hers like she had done to him earlier that day.

"Why can't you shake the dust from yourself?" She looked into his emerald eyes that always saw through her and she cried. Without thinking, she grabbed him around his waist and buried her face into his chest as her shoulders shook. It had happened so quick, she was almost unaware of what was going on herself. Something in her snapped and she couldn't do it anymore, she broke down crying. The stress and pain of losing her family, starting over a brand new life, and everything else that had happened to her, she had bottled up for so long. It began pouring out of her in waves and it wouldn't stop. She began gasping for breaths from sobbing so hard. Cam put his arms around her and she could hear his soft whispers of reassurance of how everything was alright. That he was there. They sat there together, holding each other, even after the water works had stopped. She thought Cam was doing it mostly out of fear that she would start up again, but she hoped he was doing so for reasons other than sympathy. Finally, she pulled away from him and wiped her eyes and sniffled.

"I…I'm sorry about your shirt. I didn't mean to it just…I don't know what happened." She tried to say. He smiled at her again, despite what had just happened.

"Please don't apologize to me Lillian. Especially don't apologize to me for opening up. It shows that you trust me. Now, let's get you to bed alright?" She just nodded in response, her head swollen from all of the crying she had just done. They both got off her bed and Cam pulled back the covers delicately. She got back into bed and he tucked her in. Before leaving, he kissed her forehead and whispered in her ear

"Good night Lillian. Thank you very much for dinner." She heard his footsteps get quieter as he walked to the door. The door creaked a little as he opened it and again before it closed shut. She laid there in bed, trying to organize what had just happened. Why did she suddenly break down crying like that? That had never happened to Lillian before. She had just met Cam, or so it seemed, and now she was breaking down in front of him. He must think I'm crazy she thought. But he had said he was glad she opened up to him. Perhaps he had known she was bottling up all of her emotions so he was hoping for her to cry and let them all out. Whatever had happened, Lillian knew that tonight had been a disaster. Instead of figuring out more about Cam, he found out more about her. On top of that, she was sure Cam had a horrible night, a horrible first date.

Her mind froze on that thought. Tonight was supposed to be a date. Dates were meant to be fun and help a person get to know another one better. It dawned on Lillian then. She couldn't let him leave like that. She sprang out of bed and ran outside barefoot. She heard Jake barking after her at her front door that she had left open. But she didn't care, she just kept running, hoping she wasn't too late. Begging the harvest goddess as she ran that he wouldn't be home yet, she ran despite the growing pain she felt at her side. Up ahead by the Bluebell shipping bin, she saw someone walking slowly. It was too dark for her to see who it was, so she yelled for him. It hadn't occurred to her that it might not be Cam. However, the person stopped walking and she kept running to them.

"Lillian? What are you-" Cam began but he was caught off guard as Lillian jumped into him, put her arms around his neck, and pressed her lips against his. She could tell he was surprised and confused, but she didn't care, she was too. After a moment, she felt Cam's muscles relax and he began kissing her back. His hands wrapped around her waist and he pulled her into him so that there was absolutely no space in between them. The cool air didn't faze either of them as each other's body heat kept them warm. She had to stand on her toes to reach him but she didn't care, she was dreaming. The moment felt as if it was a part of some other reality, it was too perfect. The crying that had happened only a few minutes before seemed to have happened a lifetime ago and nothing could shatter this new world she had stumbled upon. Finally, their lips separated and Cam chuckled at her

"What was that for?" He asked her smiling. She smiled back and told him

"Would you mind helping me shake the dust from my weathervane?"

**From "Shake the Dust" by Anis Mojgani. Found on The OX Zone. URL: .com/


	8. Chapter 8

_I tried my best to fix all of my grammatical errors and fixed whatever people had told me to for my previous chapters. Don't be afraid to give me some __constructive __criticism. Compliments are also enjoyed._

_*Poem written originally by me_

Chapter 8

The next day, Lillian had just got done brushing her hair and was putting in her red bandana when she heard a knock at the door. Jake picked up his head and softly growled, more from irritation than from caution. She gave him a look and told him to shush. Walking to the door, she was tightening the knot in her headwear when she wondered who could be at the door. When she opened the door, she knew she should have expected to see Cam there. Her face turned a shade of pink. She still couldn't stop herself from blushing whenever she first would see him, especially in the morning. She couldn't help but smile at him and he smiled back.

"Hello Lillian," he said in his nonchalant way. She tried to conceal a smile and said hello back. Her smile faded, however, as she realized he must be there for a reason. Did he want to take back what had happened last night? She knew she shouldn't have kissed him last night. Why did she do something so impulsive and so dumb? Cam must have noticed her mentally beating up herself, because Cam began speaking again.

"So I guess you're wondering why I'm here…" Lillian looked up at the floor that she had been concentrating on and looked up at him again. She grin mischievously at him and said,

"Why yes I am. Are you here to make another deal?" He chuckled and returned her grin with his own devilish one.

"I may be. May I come inside?" He asked politely. She stepped aside and let him through. As Cam came inside, Jake went out. They glared at each other as they passed and Lillian laughed. Cam looked at her, confused.

"What did I do?" He asked her. She had to stop herself from laughing before she could answer him.

"Are you going to fight my dog for my attention?" This time, it was his turn to blush and turn away. She smiled to herself and went over to her refrigerator. The glasses clinked as they touched each other and she grabbed two bottles of milk that she had gotten from Mary yesterday. She sat down at her table that they had eaten dinner together just the night before. She sat one bottle of milk down in front of her and the other one on the other side of the table. Cam sat down and opened the bottle, thanking her for the milk. Lillian entwined her fingers together and placed her chin on her knot of fingers.

"So what's the proposition Cam?" He looked at her and then grinned. She could tell he was enjoying this, although he was trying his best to hide it. He put the bottle down and folded his hands together before beginning.

"I have a deal for you," he said. She looked at him with interest.

"Go on." He paused a moment before doing what she asked.

"You said you wanted to fix your weathervane, yes?" he inquired. "At least that's what I think you meant from what you said last night…" She just nodded to him his answer and he continued.

"Well, I don't want you going up and fixing it by yourself. So I thought I would come and help you out." She nodded again, this time much slower. She was thinking. Finally, she asked him,

"So where does this 'deal' part come in then?" Growing up in the city, she knew deals were always 'give a little, take a little'. This was common sense. However, what Lillian didn't know was what Cam wanted. What in the world could she have that he wanted from her? Maybe he was going to tell her not to talk to him anymore and that he considered last night a mistake. She felt her heart sink at the thought and begged the goddess that that wasn't what it was. She couldn't handle losing somebody else she cared about right now; she still was raw from her last ones. Luckily, Cam interrupted her thoughts again.

"Well…I'd like to hear another one of your poems." Her grin that was across her face ran way and she groaned. He chuckled again and asked,

"Come on, why not?" She put her head down so that her forehead was placed on the end of the table and put her hands on top of her head. She mumbled something and Cam asked her to repeat it so that he could hear.

"I really don't want to," she told him in a muffle, refusing to look up from the floor. She felt him put a hand on hers and begged,

"Please?" She put her head up and moaned again. She grudgingly answered,

"Fine, fine! Only because I really want that weathervane fixed." He grinned triumphantly and Lillian wondered why everyone always told her how he never smiles. He didn't seem to have a problem with it whenever she was with him. She sighed in defeat and walked over to the bookcase.

"You want to do it now?" he pondered. She turned around and looked at him.

"I'd rather do it now and get it over with," she said. He shrugged as she went and got the notebook. She knew exactly where it was this time since she had just put it away last night. She began walking back to him and hoped that he would pick an easier poem than the one he picked last night. Handing it to him, their hands touched and they both turned red. She sat down and he began flipping through the pages of the notebook quicker than he had last night. He found a page and handed the book back to her opened.

"That was quick," she said curiously.

"I was torn between two poems last night, so I knew which one I wanted this time." Lillian raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't ask further questions. She looked down at the title of the poem and groaned again. _This one?_ She thought to herself. _He just HAD to pick this one, didn't he? _She looked up at him and saw his devilish grin once more. She sighed and began reading. She noticed how this time, it was easier for her to read than it had been last night. Perhaps it was because she seemed more comfortable with Cam now, or it was because she didn't have the pressure of a date. Whatever it was, she was glad that her heart wasn't pounding her ribcage, begging to be freed.

"_I have a best friend_

_That is always is there for me _

_And I want to be there for you too_

_For when your emotions run free_

_You tell me that you're ugly_

_And that you're not good enough_

_But it's just because you grew up_

_Facing judgment so tough_

_I tell you that you're beautiful_

_And that everyone is gifted_

_Lucky to know you exist_

_And to let their stress be lifted_

_Then you deny all I said _

_And say that you're useless_

_You then mention suicide _

_And I beg you not to do this_

_You go to reach some pills_

_And my hand reaches at the same time_

_But as both hands come to a halt_

_I realize both hands are mine"*_

She paused for a moment and closed the notebook. While she was reading, she hadn't noticed Cam get up from his seat and come over to stand behind her, reading the words along with her. Her face flushed as she realized how close he was. She could feel the heat from his body on her back and she shivered from being uncomfortable. To make matters worse, she felt Cam's arms snake around her shoulder and wrap around her chest, pulling her even closer into him. She didn't know if she was damning or thanking the back of the chair that was keeping them separated.

"Is that from your point of view?" He asked her innocently. She could feel his warm breath in her ear as he spoke and his amplified voice from being so close startled her. Her face grew hot and she hoped he didn't notice.

"After my parents died, I struggled with depression. The thought of suicide had crossed my mind but…" she wondered off. She didn't say anything more so Cam decided to keep her going.

"But…?" She thought for a moment before answering him. She wanted to choose her words carefully.

"But…my parents would never forgive me. If I wanted them to be happy, I would have to live on and be happy myself, no matter how impossible it felt," she told him, looking at the table. He didn't say anything for a long time; he thinking about what she had said. He finally pulled away from her a little, but only enough for him to kiss the back of her head. He held his lips there in her hair, and Lillian began wondering what he was thinking. Was he smelling her hair like she did to him? Was he thinking about why he was still here with this strange girl? Perhaps he was simply reflecting on everything that had just happened in these past few minutes. Before she could think of anything else, he pulled away from her and took her hand into his.

"Come on," he said encouragingly, "let's go fix your weathervane." She smiled and agreed, getting up from her chair. They walked out her front door, hand in hand.

_Later that day…_

Lillian was watching Cam organize his flowers at his stand, leaning over the front of the counter with her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand. She was reminiscing on what had happened earlier. They had gone onto her roof and took the screws out of the base of the weathervane. Neither of them knew how to fix the weathervane, so they decided to take it to Eileen and see what she would say. Eileen was the repairwoman of the village and if anyone knew anything about how to fix it, it would be her. Lillian had never noticed how much craftsmanship had gone into the weathervane until she got a good look at it. It was made out of metal with a metal steed on top of it. She had assumed it would be a rooster, like many of them had on their peak. She liked her horse better though, and now she was more determined than ever to get it fixed. She didn't want to upset whoever had made it and had passed on. They had brought it to Eileen and she explained how it would be an easy fix and she would be able to de-rust it in a few days. Lillian thanked her and both her and Cam left.

Now, they were at his stand. He had to get ready for his work day and Lillian wanted to see how he handled the flowers. She was thinking about growing her own on her farm, so she figured if anyone would know best, it would be Cam. He stood up and stretched before turning around. He smiled at Lillian and she smiled back.

"Enjoying yourself?" He asked her teasingly.

"Very much, thank you," she replied mischievously. He was smiling at her when his smile suddenly vaporized and he froze. She looked at him, worried. His eyes wouldn't move away from something in the distance, so she followed his gaze and saw a figure walking to them in the distance. She looked back and forth between Cam and the strange person coming at them. She couldn't figure out who it was, no matter how close the person came.

"Cam, who is it?" she asked him cautiously. He wouldn't move at all, he seemed frozen. She grabbed his arm frantically and asked him again.

"Cam? Who is that?" She asked him louder this time, but he still didn't answer.

"Cam please!" He didn't move at all and his lips barely parted when he replied to her. Had it not been for her good ears, Lillian probably wouldn't have heard him.

"It's…my mother."


	9. Chapter 9

_I want to give a little shout out to Lunadora for helping me with this chapter. Thanks 3_

Chapter 9

A slender, pale, beautiful woman with wavy brown hair was approaching Cam's stand. Lillian knew that trying to talk to Cam any further would be hopeless, so she ran into the café. Panting, she stood at the entrance of the tiny little shop. The run was not what had made her lose her breath, but the anxiety attack she was going through made it difficult for her to breath. She was sweating and felt dizzy, her heart pounding against her chest like a hammer. Howard turned around and knew just by looking at her that something was wrong.

"Lillian, what's going on?" Howard asked her, alarmed. She tried her best to catch her breath, but she knew she had to hurry. She had her arms out like kids do when they're pretending to be an airplane, holding onto the doorframe. She was afraid of fainting if she didn't grasp onto something for support. She managed to breathe out an answer to Howard finally.

"Cam's mother….is here." His eyes grew wide and the plate he was holding shattered into pieces as it hit the floor. It rang and the sound bounced against the walls, vibrating in her ears. They stared at each other for a moment, Howard trying to process what she had just told him. He finally snapped back into his senses, ran over to Lillian, and pushed past her outside. She only moved enough to let him through. She felt as if it might as well be the grim reaper that had come, not Cam's mother.

_That Night…_

Lillian was at home, sitting at her table, writing furiously by candlelight. She had so many emotions and was so confused, that there was only one way for her to not lose her mind. She was writing another poem, hoping that it will help her figure out how she feels. It used to work before she moved here, so she figured there shouldn't be a reason why it wouldn't work out now. She began by just writing. She wrote about what happened that day, how she felt, what she wanted to stay but didn't. It was a technique her English teacher had taught her back in high school and she continued to use it. She began recalling the incident in sequential order finally instead of just cluttering up her thoughts.

Howard, Cam, his mother, and Lillian were all sitting at a table at the café in silence. The tension was so thick in the air that you could have cut it with a butter knife. Lillian was only there because Cam asked her to be. When she tried to excuse herself earlier, he grabbed her hand and begged her to stay. He explained that he couldn't do it by himself. He needed her there. She agreed reluctantly, and sat next to Cam as his mother sat across from all three of them. His hand slipped into hers and he squeezed it, showing her that he was thankful to her for staying. Everyone at the table was doing something different. Lillian was looking around nervously, Cam refused to look up from the table, and Howard glared at Cam's mother. Lillian noticed he didn't avert his gaze once. She supposed he was hoping that she would leave if he willed her to enough. Unfortunately, quite the opposite happened. Cam's mother finally broke the silence. Once she spoke, Cam tightened his grip on Lillian's hand.

"I suppose you are wondering why I'm here…" she said softly. Lillian could tell she was playing with her dress in her lap, unable to look up from her hands. She must have felt Howard's death beams that he was shooting continuously at her.

"I have a few ideas, but I'd rather you say them Jen," Howard said coldly. She sighed before continuing.

"Well, I'd like Cam to come back with me to his father." Howard stood up violently, knocking the chair over that he had been sitting on. Cam and Lillian looked at him in alarm, worried that they would have to try and hold him back. They both knew that it would be impossible, no matter how hard they tried. Jen continued to sit calmly, as if nothing had happened.

"Howard…" Lillian said cautiously. Howard slowly sat back down without tearing away his gaze from Jen.

"What in the world makes you think that Cam wants to go back with you?" Howard asked her threateningly. She didn't answer him for a moment, as if she was trying to figure it out herself.

"Well John has cleaned up a lot. He's quit drinking. He goes to AA, he volunteers. He hasn't yelled at me once since he's started getting help," she told them. She finally looked up and Lillian noticed that her eyes looked almost exactly like Cam's. There was something missing from hers though. It was as if she had no life left in her eyes. You looked at them and you felt a sense of emptiness and hopelessness. They did not have the same shy yet confident gaze that Cam had. Lillian gave Cam's hand a squeeze to remind him that she was there. She couldn't really tell, but she could have sworn she saw a small smile cross his lips when she did. He hadn't moved once since they sat down and Lillian was becoming increasingly worried.

"Cam?" Howard asked him gently. It was the nicest Howard had sounded since they began the conversation and both Lillian and Cam looked up at him at once in surprise.

" What are you thinking, hun?" Howard pondered. Cam didn't say anything; he continued to sit and returned his stare at the table they were all gathered around. Finally, he answered them in a hushed,

"Has he really changed?" Lillian felt her heart sink into her stomach. Was he really considering leaving Bluebell? What would she do if he left? They hadn't known each other very long, but she felt this connection with him that she had never felt before for any other guy before. She felt close to him and wanted to always be with him. There was this feeling she got whenever she was with him, she felt safe. That had never been a feeling she was accustomed to, but with Cam, it felt natural. She didn't want that feeling to leave. She couldn't handle him leaving her.

"Yes he has dear. He misses you tremendously," Jen told him encouragingly. She wanted her son to come back with her, but something was wrong. Cam didn't feel it, but Lillian could feel that something was wrong. She couldn't place it, but there was this feeling in her gut that there was something more to Cam's mother than what she was telling all of them. She was hiding something.

"I need time to think about it," Cam said finally. He got up from the table, excused himself, and left. Lillian and Howard exchanged worried looks.

"Go talk to him please Lillian," Howard asked her. Lillian nodded and left quietly, knowing what was going to happen once she left. As soon as they thought she was out of earshot, the yelling and arguing began. She tried not to listen as she ran outside, looking for Cam. She found him over by the flowerbeds, looking at the flowers as usual. He heard her approach and asked her,

"What's your favorite flower Lillian?" She stood next to him and thought for a moment. She had never really thought about it before.

"I like the Cherokee Rose," she replied finally. He looked at her in bewilderment.

"Why? That's not a very typical answer," he informed her. She looked at the flowers while she explained.

"It's not just how it looks. It's what it signifies. You know the story of the flower, correct?" He shook his head no and she looked at him. She looked him in the eyes as she told the story.

"Well, when the government drove the Cherokees to Oklahoma, one fourth of them died on the journey west. When the Trail of Tears started, the mothers of the Cherokee were grieving and crying so much because they were unable to help their children survive the journey. The elders prayed for a sign that would lift the mother's spirits to give them strength. God, looking down from heaven, decided to commemorate the brave Cherokees and so, as the blood of the braves and the tears of the maidens dropped to the ground, he turned them into stone in the shape of a Cherokee Rose. The next day a beautiful rose began to grow where each of the mother's tears fell. The rose is white for their tears; a gold center represents the gold taken from Cherokee lands, and seven leaves on each stem for the seven Cherokee clans. That's what the flower symbolizes, hope." When she finished, she felt Cam pull her into him and he kissed her. His lips were cold against hers from the crisp night air, but as they continued to connect and move, they warmed and moved with her own. He ran his fingers through her hair with one hand and placed the other on the small of her back. Lillian ran her fingers through his hair too, kissing him as if they would never kiss again. She knew that it was a possibility, and she didn't want to let the opportunity pass. They finally stopped kissing and she buried her face into his chest.

"Please don't leave me Cam," she murmured into his shirt. He bent his neck down and kissed her head.

"I won't Lillian. I promise." After that, he walked her home and Lillian began writing. That feeling of doubt that had buried itself into her gut refused to leave.

The next day, she got ready as usual in her home. She opened her door and saw a bouquet of flowers on her doorstep with a card on it. She opened the card slowly, reading and then re-reading the words sketched across it.

_Dear Lillian,_

_I have gone back to the city with my mother. I want to see if my father truly has changed. I need to be there for them, even if they haven't been there for me. I have to be a better per son than them. I'll return to Bluebell soon. I'll return with a flower for you and when I come back, I won't ever leave again. Please don't forget about me._

_~Cam_

Lillian stared at the card for a long time. She read the words over and over again, as if preparing for a test. She couldn't seem to grasp the writing that was on it, as if it was written in a foreign language. Finally, she tore the card up and closed her door, leaving the bouquet of flowers on the doorstep to rot.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The day after receiving her bouquet and card, Howard came over and brought Lillian breakfast, rather than her going to his café. He hugged her, asked her if she was alright, and left. He knew Lillian better than she thought. He knew that if she wanted to talk, she would find him. There was no point in trying to push her to open up and express her emotions. One's best bet would be to wait until she was ready to talk. Lillian told Georgia about Cam's departure shortly after Howard's visit and she started tearing up. She explained that although they bickered a lot, she still was friends with him. Shortly after hearing the news, she ran off to the café to see how Laney was. Lillian's insecurity slowly crept back to her as a thought crossed her mind. Perhaps she wasn't the only one feeling incredibly alone now that Cam was gone. She couldn't have been the only one Cam had kissed before. If it ever came down to Laney and Lillian, she knew she wouldn't be able to stand against her. Laney was beautiful, a wonderful cook, and she was charming as well as outgoing. What if her and Cam had something going on? The thought must have crossed his mind at least once, seeing as they lived together.

_You're being ridiculous Lillian. You know Cam isn't like that, _she thought to herself. But was he? She didn't know who he was, in fact, now that she thought about it, she didn't know him at all. Just because she knew him better than most people around here didn't necessarily mean she knew him a lot; just better. She sighed and decided that she needed to figure out a way to get rid of the hole that had dug itself deep into her chest. There was only one solution to it and although she didn't want to, she knew that this would be the only thing that could possibly get rid of her sinking feeling of regret.

"You want to WHAT?" Rutger proclaimed. Lillian stood at the counter of the Town Hall, looking down at her boots. She knew this would be his reaction when she told him the news, so this wasn't a shock to her. It didn't help her spreading guilt though. She refused to meet his eyes, so she instead picked off one of the first fall leaves from her dress that had gotten stuck into the cotton. She twirled it around in between her fingers before dropping it to the floor.

"I'm sorry Mayor, but I just want a change of scenery for a bit. I'll be back soon, I promise. I just…" she trailed off at the end of her sentence. She wasn't lying to him, but she didn't feel like telling him how she was leaving because of Cam. She couldn't stay in the same town, at least not right now. It held too many memories that she simply didn't want to remember at the moment. She needed a change of things until she figured out her feelings. Rutger sighed and handed her the paperwork, muttering to himself. She couldn't figure out what he was saying, but she wasn't really trying to decipher it. She was sure she didn't want to hear what he was mumbling anyways. She quickly filled out the paperwork, apologized for disappointing him, and left the Town Hall. When she returned home, she began packing her things to move to Konohana.

_One year later…._

Much had happened to Lillian since moving to Konohana. Shortly after moving into her new home, Ina, the mayor of Konohana, came by to introduce her to a traveling violinist by the name of Mikhail. She explained how he would be staying in the town hall and that he would leave the next summer. He spoke very politely and had a specific charm about him. He smiled at her and kissed her hand before walking out with Ina. Lillian often times ran into him while she was foraging in the mountains. When she first asked him why he was climbing up the mountain, he explained that he was going to the Harvest Goddess spring because he felt his music sounded better around there. They would talk for a while every day before both of them would continue on their way.

Other than Mikhail, Lillian became close with many of her new neighbors. Nori and Reina became good friends with her, while she also became closer to the bachelors of Konohana as well, Kana and Hiro. She helped Kana get to know Georgia and although they bickered, Georgia and Kana eventually became an item. Georgia was still Lillian's best friend, but the distance between them made them lose some of the strength to their relationship. She still would travel over the mountains every day to visit her old friends in Bluebell. She mostly visited to see Howard, but Georgia and Ash were always nice to catch up with as well. Eileen said she would still upgrade her farm and put up requests for her. Lillian assumed it was because she was probably her only customer, but she thanked her nonetheless. After fixing her weathervane, Lillian brought it to Konohana with her since her new home didn't have one. It was quite strange though, the weathervane would spin in a circle constantly whether there was wind or not. At first she thought Eileen hadn't fixed it as well as she had hoped, but she knew it was something else.

Lillian knew it had been about a year since Cam had left and she tried her best to come to terms with things: he wasn't coming back. She still thought about him every day and the hole in her chest hadn't left since that deceiving day. She tried her best to forget about him by keeping herself busy. She had nearly accomplished it until she looked at the calendar and realized the date. It was exactly one week until her birthday. Everyone, including herself, forgot about it last year because not only did people not know her as well as they did now, but they were all trying to reconcile with Cam's sudden departure. This year, she hoped everyone would forget again. She sighed and did her usual chores before walking over to Nori. She was in her family's field, as she was every day, tending to her crops. The season would be ending soon, so she was particularly frazzled. She waved at her and Lillian walked over beside her

"I always get so worried that I won't be able to harvest everything at the end of the season. Don't you Lillian?" Nori asked her. She was so innocent and pure, people couldn't help but love her. Her waist long jet black hair danced around her back when she turned to Lillian and smiled. She reminded her of a porcelain doll and she was stricken with envy. She quickly shook the feeling away from her and agreed, smiling back.

"Oh! Reina had been looking for you. She's over at the town hall I believe. You should go see her," Nori said cheerfully. Lillian could tell behind her happy tone that there was a hint of curiosity in her voice. Thinking nothing of it, she thanked her and walked across the road to the town hall. She walked in and greeted Ina who was behind the front desk. Towards the ends of the seasons, Ina always seemed slightly nervous whenever she came in. She knew it was because this was the time when you ask to move towns and Ina didn't want Lillian to leave for some reason. Probably because her cooking had improved since she moved to Konohana and started taking lessons from Yun. She had become an important member on the Konohana cooking team. Once Ina saw her go around her and to the bookshelves by Reina, she relaxed and continued working on whatever she had been doing before Lillian walked in.

"Hello Lillian," Reina said without even looking up from the book she was reading. She was amazed at the fact that Reina hadn't read every book in the town hall by now. Lillian returned her greeting and smiled even though she didn't see it. Reina quietly shut the book and put it back to its rightful place.

"Nori said you wanted to speak to me?" Lillian said questioningly. Reina nodded and walked past her to the seats that were near the entrance of the building. Lillian followed and joined her on the benches.

"This is hard for me…" Reina said, staring at the floor. Getting emotional and sentimental was not like Reina, so Lillian's ears perked up as she heard the tone of her voice.

"Look I just…I don't really have a lot of friends. Except for Nori and she's just so…perfect sometimes. Don't get me wrong, she's like a sister to me but we're almost complete opposites," Reina began. Lillian looked at her with a mixture of sympathy and confusion. She knew exactly what she was talking about when she mentioned Nori being too perfect, but she wasn't sure why she was telling her this.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that you've been a great friend to me. And I just want you to know that I appreciate it, even if I don't show it all the times. I know I just talk about plants and my disgust of…fish," she shuddered at even just the word. Lillian couldn't help but smile, remembering the first time she found out about her fear of the gilled animal. She had been fishing earlier that day and the smell hadn't exactly left her clothing. When she visited Reina, she started yelling and making grunting noises, yelling about how bad fish were. They decided after that to help Reina get over her fear of them and in exchange, help Lillian from getting embarrassed so easily.

"You're like a sister to me too. One I don't feel like I have to compete with. I just wanted to thank you for that…"Reina said. The same Reina that was so calculating and emotionless. Lillian hugged her and thanked her, explaining how she felt the same exact way about her. They embraced for a moment and then parted, Reina blushing.

"Well I have to be going back. My uncle is looking for me surely," she said nervously. Lillian smiled and agreed, saying that she would see her tomorrow. Reina nodded and walked out of the town hall. Lillian sat there for a moment, smiling to herself. She hadn't felt this happy in quite a while and she was proud of herself for finally coming out of her shell. She was about to get up and leave when she felt a presence sit next to her on the bench. When she looked over, she saw Mikhail sitting there smiling at her. His eyes were shimmering behind his glasses as he grinned at her.

"Greetings Lillian," he said politely.

"Hello Mikhail. How are you today?" she asked him cheerfully. The talk she had just had with Reina had brightened her mood and she couldn't cover up her joyful tone even if she had wanted to.

"Well, that depends," he replied. She looked at him, puzzled. When she asked him what his mood depended on, he smiled at her charmingly.

"Would you care to meet me later today?" He asked. Her heart skipped a beat once it processed what he had asked her.

"Are you asking me for a date?" She asked him.

_Of course he's asking you on a date. Good job asking a dumb question Lillian._ He chuckled at her, for what, she didn't know.

"Why yes I am. Is that a problem?" He replied with his English charm. She shook her head no and he got up, taking her hand with his.

"Then I shall see you later tonight. Would you like to meet at the Harvest Goddess' spring?" He asked. She smiled nervously and agreed. After her talk with Mikhail, she ran home and got her horse, Epona. She rode her all the way to Bluebell and quickly tied her up to a tree before running into Howard's café. Howard was whistling to himself when he saw Lillian walk through the door.

"Lillian darling! How have you been dear? What's wrong?" Howard asked. Just like him to know that something was on her mind just by looking at her. She walked over to him and blurted out,

"Mikhail asked me out on a date." His reaction was not what she expected. He suddenly grew very serious and guided her over to a table where they both sat down. He rested his head on his hands and proceeded to ask,

"Do you like him?" Lillian thought about that for a moment. She did like him, but that wasn't what Howard had asked. Did she like him as a brother or as a potential boyfriend? She wasn't sure.

"I don't know…" she mumbled, burying her face into her hands. She closed her eyes and thought about how she saw Mikhail. Howard grabbed one of her hands and held it in his.

"Dear…you do know that Cam is coming back, right?" Lillian shot up from her seat and glared at him, tearing her hand away from him.

"Don't tell me lies like that Howard," she told him coldly. He returned her hard stare with his soft gaze.

"You have to believe in him Lillian."

"Believe in what, Howard? His lies he told me?" Howard looked at her sadly. He continued to sit in his chair and look at her. His usual cheeriness was gone, he looked exhausted, older than he should. It suddenly occurred to her that she hadn't thought about how Cam's leaving affected Howard. He was like a son to him, he had practically raised him. Once she realized that she was not the only one there hurt by Cam, she relaxed and sat back down. She apologized to him quietly, embarrassed of her sudden outburst.

"It's fine dear. He hurt you, I understand. I just want you two to be happy and you made each other that way. He loved you. He didn't tell me, but I knew just by looking at the two of you. True love cannot be broken Lillian, it can just get delayed for some time. He'll be back. If not for me or Laney, he most certainly will be for you," he told explained to her kindly. Lillian suddenly was struck with a surge of guts and she decided to go ahead and ask Howard rather than her rack her brain constantly about it.

"Howard…did Cam and Laney ever have something going on?" she asked nervously. She started playing with her apron, picking off lint from it. She couldn't meet his gaze, she was too scared of his reply.

"I know Laney had a crush on Cam," Howard began. Her heart sunk at the words he had just spoken. "However, Cam was never interested in Laney for some reason. That boy wouldn't take an interest in any girl until you came along. I thought he was gay for the longest time actually!" He started laughing whole heartedly. It was the first time Lillian remembered him laughing that way since Cam had left. She couldn't help but laugh and smile with him. When they had regained their composure, Lillian thanked Howard and apologized for her strange mood.

"The only thing strange is how you see yourself Lillian," he said, suddenly very serious again. She was about to ask him to explain when she realized what time it was. She still had a date with Mikhail to get to. The two of them embraced before her departure and Lillian accidently said,

"Bye dad!" Her face flushed after she realized her mistake. Howard either didn't notice or didn't want to embarrass her, so he said good-bye to her while waving. She turned around once to see Howard with a smile drawn on his face with mascara racing down his cheeks.

The date with Mikhail went nicely. He played a song for her on his violin and talked about music. Lillian told him about her love for poetry, and he insisted that she should write a song for him. She explained how writing music and poetry were two completely different things, but he told her to try. He was sure she would do it well. Guiltily, the entire date, Lillian was thinking about Cam and the conversation she had with Howard earlier. Was he going to come back, like Howard insisted? She didn't know. She was afraid to believe it. She wasn't ready to get her hopes up only to get them slammed back into her face. Mikhail seemed oblivious to the fact that her mind was elsewhere and continued to talk to her about music. After the date, they walked back down the mountain together. Once at the foot of it, Mikhail tried to walk her to her farm but she refused. After some debate, Mikhail kissed her on the cheek goodnight and walked back to the town hall. Lillian sighed and walked down the short trail to her farm. She watched her feet switch back and forth in the dark against the dirt. She had hoped that moving towns would have helped her figure out her emotions, but she was wrong. They wouldn't leave, even after a whole year without Cam, she couldn't shake him from her thoughts. The line that Howard had said repeated itself in her mind, _"True love cannot be broken. It can just be delayed for a while."_ But was what Lillian and Cam had true love? Or was it just Lillian being desperate for companionship after losing her parents? She didn't know. What she did know was that her date with Mikhail had been nothing like her dates with Cam. She hadn't felt giddy or safe or anything that Cam had made her feel for that matter. It was like she had gone out on a date with her sibling. She sighed and decided to push her thoughts to the back of her mind until later to think about them. She dug through the pockets in her apron to find her house key and walked up to her house, looking up at the weathervane. It continued to spin aimlessly on its base. She was about to step up to her door when she looked down and saw something at her doorstep. She couldn't tell what it was in the dark, so she picked it up and discovered that it was a flower. A Cherokee Rose.


	11. Chapter 11

_I just wanted to thank everyone for being so patient and waiting for me to update this. I had a ton of things to do for school and I had to take up more hours at work, so I haven't had time to write unless I had to for school. I'm so sorry for making you all wait, but I hope this chapter makes up for it. Plus, I was going to make this two chapters, but I decided to just make it one long one. Sorry if it seems rushed._

She stood there in the dark for a moment, staring at the flower, dumbfounded. She knew exactly what it meant, but she wasn't sure of what to do with it. Instead, she slowly opened her door and walked into her house in a daze. Placing the flower on the table delicately, she then walked over to her bed and sat down on it cross-legged. Instead of her mind racing, it was simply blank. Jake walked over to her and put his head on her legs, looking up at her, worried. Lillian looked down and smiled at him, placing her hand on the top of his head. They both sat there for a moment looking at each other, when they heard a knock on the door. Jake barked and looked at his master, alarmed. It was too late to have a visitor, and he knew it. Lillian got up and walked over to the door anyways, still star struck from her flower. Jake stood right behind her, tail in the air, as she opened the door.

"Hello Lillian," Cam said calmly. She stood there, looking at him by the glow of her paper lamp. All that came out of her mouth was,

"What do you want?" He was taken aback by her tone. She assumed that he expected a warm and cheerful reunion. That, sadly, would not be the case. Instead of being happy to see him again, the anger and betrayal she had felt while he had been away came to a slow boil.

"May I come in so we can talk?" He asked her hesitantly. Lillian nodded and stood aside, Jake still by her heels. He walked in and sat down on one of the cushions by her table. She had grown accustomed to the Asian-cultured town, while Cam had not. He sat down awkwardly, most likely wishing that there were chairs instead. Lillian sat down in the seat across from him.

"What do you want to talk about?" Lillian asked him in a monotone voice. He shifted uncomfortably, trying to pick his word carefully. This was most definitely not what he had expected when he came home.

"I wanted to apologize," he said softly. Her anger was heating up quickly and was starting to boil over the pot.

"What would you like to apologize for exactly Cam? For lying to me, for leaving me without saying good-bye? Or how about for choosing your family that abandoned you over the family that raised you, or for hurting everyone that loved you? Perhaps all of the above even? Take your pick Cam, I have all the time in the world," Lillian told him sharply. She could see her words stinging him, which made her feel guilty. But her desire to make him feel the pain he had unknowingly bestowed upon everyone else was too great for her to stop.

"I didn't know I had hurt so many people so much. I'm sorry for everything," he said softly. Although she had innumerable smart comments she could have said back to him, she held her tongue. Her anger was starting to calm down. She didn't want to see him hurt, especially when he was apologizing. She sighed reluctantly and said that she accepted his apology, even if she didn't completely mean it. After that, they sat in silence for a moment, both of them unsure of what to say to the other. Finally, Lillian spoke up and asked him,

"Why did you leave?" He looked up at her from his feet and she truly saw his face for the first time. On his left eye, she could see a bruise that was almost completely healed, but there was still a moon of yellow and green around his eye. When he noticed Lillian looking at his eye, Cam blushed and looked down at his feet again quickly.

"She's still my mother. I know she abandoned me and that I made the wrong choice in leaving, but she's my mom. When I saw how sad she was without me, I just wanted to do anything I wanted to make her happier, even if it cost my own happiness to do it," he said quietly. Lillian's hard glare that she had kept the entire time since they had met began to slowly soften. She still wasn't quite ready to let him go scot free though. There was still distrust and some anger left in her, and part of her wasn't ready to let that go just yet. She had kept these feelings bottled up for too long, and now was the best time to let them go free.

"Why did you lie to me?" she asked bluntly. Even Lillian herself was shocked by her newfound confidence that she had found while he had been away. She quietly thanked Reina for that as she waited for Cam's answer. He was fidgeting with his hands again as he thought.

"I didn't lie to you, not at first at least. That night when I told you I wasn't leaving, I had meant it. When I went back to the café though, my mom was crying and begged me to come back to the city with her. She wanted to prove to me that things had changed with my father and that I had to at least give her a chance. I couldn't stand to see her like that, so I decided to do what she said and give both of my parents just one more chance," he explained to her. She could hear the exhausted passion in his voice as he told her this. Lillian guessed that he had already had a conversation similar to this one with someone already, Howard most likely. When he didn't continue like she thought he would, she asked him what happened with his parents and what had happened with his eye. His emerald eyes glazed over slowly as she could see him retreating into the back of his mind, searching unwillingly for the memories he had tried to burry. She didn't question him any further, letting him take his time. Perhaps she had been too hard on him, she hadn't thought about what he had been going through himself while they were separated. Finally, he took in a deep breath and began.

"My mother lied to me. I can't completely blame her; she just was tired of being all alone. Anyways, she had lied to me about my father. He hadn't gotten better, if anything, he had gotten worse. Now that I'm not a small child anymore, he began to attack me as well. The reason I stayed so long was because I kept trying to save my mom from him but…" he trailed off, either thinking or remembering. Lillian wasn't sure, but she didn't interrupt his thoughts. She waited patiently for him to begin again.

"But she wouldn't leave him. That was when I finally figured it out, why she had left me. It was because she loved him more than me. Once I finally realized this, I left both of them without looking back. I can't believe I was so blind. I left the people that had loved me and took me in for the people that had abandoned me. I just hope that those I hurt will take me back," he said quietly. She could see Cam's emerald eyes start to glisten as tears began to swell around the corners. Without thinking, Lillian grabbed him across the table and held him in an awkward embrace. She moved so that she was now on her low table on her knees, pulling Cam in closer to her as she felt him start to shake. The wall she had built up this past year suddenly came crumbling down as she was able to accept how she had really felt when he had left. She had felt alone and missed him. It had just taken him crying in front of her after months apart for her to realize this.

"Cam?" she whispered in his ears. She heard him sniffle and breathe a "Yes?" back to her. She hesitated for a moment, unsure of what she was about to do. For although she had changed this past year, so had Cam. Her fear of rejection had not left, and she was sure it never would. Taking in a deep breath, trying to keep herself from shaking, she mustered up all of the courage she could. It took every cell in her body to prevent her voice from trembling as she spoke the words she had forbidden herself from saying.

"Cam…I love you." They both sat there, holding each other in silence. Lillian was mentally preparing herself for the 'I'm sorry but…' that was sure to follow when Cam slowly pulled away from her. For the first time since the reunion, they looked at each other in the eyes. Even with his damaged face, Lillian still thought he was one of the most gorgeous men she had ever seen. His eyes had regained the gleam that they once held as he smiled at her and looked into her. She felt her face flush like they always did when he looked at her this way and she looked away quickly. It was then that she felt his thumb and index finger curl around her chin and guide her face back to his. Before she could protest, she felt his soft lips press against hers in a warm passionate kiss. His fingers moved from her chin and danced up to her cheek where he caressed her face in his palm. His put his other hand behind the back of her head, pushing her face closer to his, enflaming the kiss even hotter. Lillian pushed his hat off of his head as she ran her fingers through his river of brown hair. Right before, she wanted to beg him for more, he slowly pulled away from her and smiled at her the smile that she had missed so much this past year.

"I love you too Lillian. I always have." He was about to kiss her again, when she pulled away from him. He looked at her, startled by this movement. Without a word, she got up and walked over to her bookcase and pulled out her poetry notebook. She sat down next to him this time and handed it to him. Puzzled, he opened the book, flipping through the pages. He was looking through them all delicately when something fell onto his lap. He stared at it the same way Lillian had looked at the Cherokee Rose just an hour before.

"Lillian, you do know what this means, right?" Cam asked hesitantly. Lillian continued to say nothing but nodded to him his response. He just looked at the object, unsure of what to say.

"I was going to wait to give it to you, but I feel like you need some cheering up, if you accept it that is," she told him calmly. It was taking every bit of strength that she possessed to appear that way though, inside her brain was screaming at her. For the first time ever, her heart had beaten her brain and taken control. He finally smiled at her and kissed her again, blue feather in hand.

"I do," he said happily. She giggled at him and replied

"You're jumping ahead of yourself Cam," he ignored her smart remark and kissed her again. In the background, Lillian could hear the weathervane on the top of her house slowly come to a halt.


End file.
